The liver surface as a favorable site for islet cell sheet transplantation in type 1 diabetes model mice

Introduction: Islet transplantation is one of the most promising therapeutic approaches for patients with severe type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Transplantation of engineered islet cell sheets holds great potential for treating T1DM as it enables the creation of stable neo-islet tissues. However, a large mass of islet cell sheets is required for the subcutaneous transplantation to reverse hyperglycemia in diabetic mice. Here, we investigated whether the liver surface could serve as an alternative site for islet cell sheet transplantation. Methods: Dispersed rat islet cells (0.8 × 106 cells) were cultured on laminin-332-coated thermoresponsive culture dishes. After 2 days of cultivation, we harvested the islet cell sheets by lowering the culture temperature using a support membrane with a gelatin gel. We transplanted two recovered islet cell sheets into the subcutaneous space or onto the liver surface of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice with streptozocin-induced diabetes. Results: In the liver surface group, the non-fasting blood glucose level decreased rapidly within several days after transplantation. In marked contrast, the hyperglycemia state was maintained in the subcutaneous space transplantation group. The levels of rat C-peptide and insulin in the liver surface group were significantly higher than those in the subcutaneous space group. An immunohistological analysis confirmed that most of the islet cells engrafted on the liver surface were insulin-positive. The CD31-positive endothelial cells formed vascular networks within the neo-islets and in the surrounding tissues. In contrast, viable islet cells were not found in the subcutaneous space group. Conclusions: Compared with the subcutaneous space, a relatively small mass of islet cell sheets was enough to achieve normoglycemia in diabetic mice when the liver surface was selected as the transplantation site. Our results demonstrate that the optimization of the transplantation site for islet cell sheets leads to significant improvements in the therapeutic efficiency for T1DM. Keywords: Cell sheet, Islet cells, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, Transplantation site, Cellular therap

Pressure Induced Topological Phase Transitions in Membranes

Some highly unusual features of a lipid-water liquid crystal are revealed by high pressure x-ray diffraction, light scattering and dilatometric studies of the lamellar (bilayer $L_{\alpha}$) to nonlamellar inverse hexagonal ($H_{II}$) phase transition. (i) The size of the unit cell of the $H_{II}$ phase increases with increasing pressure. (ii) The transition volume, $\Delta V_{bh}$, decreases and appears to vanish as the pressure is increased. (iii) The intensity of scattered light increases as $\Delta V_{bh}$ decreases. Data are presented which suggest that this increase is due to the formation of an intermediate cubic phase, as predicted by recent theoretical suggestions of the underlying universal phase sequence.Comment: 12 pages, typed using REVTEX 2.

Facilitating Communication by Promoting Bilingualism Among Products of Intermarriages in Nigeria

In a survey to determine how many students on the NationalDiploma programme of the Federal College of Animal Health andProduction Technology who had parents from different languagespeakingbackgrounds, had acquired those languages and learnedEnglish in addition; and how many others acquired pidgin Englishinstead, for communication, interesting discoveries were made.Out of the 113 students that registered for Pre-National Diploma(Pre-ND), 87 had parents whose first languages were different.29 out of this number could not communicate in any of thelanguages of their parents. 101 out of the 135 students thatregistered for the National Diploma One (NDI) programme hadparents who originated from different language speakingbackgrounds but could hardly speak the languages of theirparents for lack of exposure to the codes

Body Adornment Practises in Nigerian Culture a Multi-Ethnic Investigation

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Evaluating unfavorable attitudes to pragmatic use of language in multilingual contexts in the learning of Science and Technology

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Beyond eurocentrism: Classifications, theories and the construction of identity in African dress, body designs, costumes and make-up

This work critically examines the practice of indigenous dressing, stage costuming, body designing and make-up, as utilised in African daily life and African performances; in a bid to theorise African adornment practices and articulate a position of enquiry, which will be employed in explaining techniques and methods; describing trends and styles, and explaining design practices and preferences within the African fashion and performance space. Many scholars and practitioners have made significant claims about traditional African dress culture, make-up, body designs and the costumes used in myriad performances spread across the continental landscape, but these claims have mostly been based on Eurocentric categorisations of non-Eurocentric cultural attires as "costumes". Using the analytical, descriptive and interpretative approach of the qualitative research methodology; the study attempts to theorise African dress culture, body designs, costumes and make-up practices, especially as utilised in everyday life, on special occasions, on stage, in films, carnivals, street  performances and traditional communal performances. The study exposes the limitations of Eurocentric categorisations, and explores some terrains of indigenous artistic distinctions defined by certain established dress codes, adornment cultures and ethnic orientations. In the course of this engagement, strong claims, assertions, and conceptions capable of generating critical stand -points that may amongst others, define the process and classify the practice, trends and identity of African dress culture, make-up and body designs; are initiated

The African Migrant, European Dreams and Destination Realities

The perception of Europe as an economic fortress by many Africans have led to a tremendous spike in irregular migrant activities. While many die during the migration process, there are some who still make it to their different destinations in Europe. What this research has done is to explore the representations of the experiences of irregular migration in two documentaries: Letters from Libya (2015) and Surprising Europe (2011). The researchers argued that a significant policy push in the adoption of a noneromanticised approach to the representation of irregular migration by the cultural industries in Africa will contribute immensely to the fight against irregular migration in Africa